


The Beach At The End of Her World

by MsSinclaire



Series: The 21st Doctor Adventures Series One [1]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms
Genre: Aliens, Gen, Science Fiction, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-21
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-28 18:34:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30143799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsSinclaire/pseuds/MsSinclaire
Summary: Episode One of the 21st Doctor Adventures, featuring the Doctor in her Twenty First numbered incarnation, in adventures with a totally brand new, original set of characters through time and space.
Series: The 21st Doctor Adventures Series One [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2220315





	The Beach At The End of Her World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter One of The Beach At The End of Her World;
> 
> The Doctor and Ivy meet.

* * *

_The universe is impossibly big. Perhaps infinitely so. And the recent discoveries that our universe is not the only one in creation opens up the theory of a billion, billion more universes, each impossibly big. There could, perhaps, be an infinite number of parallel universes, each upside down or topsy tervy, each with it's own set of rules, it's own array of laws of the physical nature. There could be entire dimensions where the very axioms of mathematics themselves are incomprehendably different, perhaps even non-existent._

_And even in these distant worlds, where logic and science operate in a way we cannot understand, just as we cannot see in five spacial dimensions or imagine such a thing visually, even in these far off, undreamt of lands - there will be gods, and demons, devils worshipped and deities iconified, mythologies and legends spanning thousands of years. Perhaps millions. Faith, religion and cults are a fundamental fact of life and all sentient beings who's intelligence reaches a certain point will inevitably begin looking up, or perhaps down, for answers to what literally cannot be explained by science. We must, therefore, accept the inevitable unification of religion and science, as the two are the most important, most fundamental concepts that we have - faith in what we can see, and faith in what we can feel._

_\- The science of belief, 52nd century edition_

* * *

In a distant corner of a distant galaxy, in the 39th century (by human timekeeping,) on a small, moderately populated planet called Univec, lay a beach, stretching four miles long along a coastline of beautiful, lime green water that lapped on it's blonde sandy shores. A scene totally undisturbed by anything other than the local wildlife - and a set of fairly large footprints leading away from a large, blue, wooden box, the sun reflecting off of the small glass light on the top. About 35 meters from the box, the footprints leading away ended, and there stood a tall woman, a hand in her pocket and the other hand skimming stones off the water. She was wearing baggy, green dyed denim jeans and a white graphic shirt that was probably long sleeved at one point, given the visible tears two thirds up her arms. She looked strong - which probably explained how far she was throwing those stones. She had short black hair, and clip-on earrings of some unknown alien device.

She took another stone from the black backpack she was wearing and threw it far across the water, achieving a respectable seven skims.

"Only seven. Shame, that. I was a fantastic skimmer a few lives back. Won the world championship. Well, galactic championship."

She let out a long sigh and sat down on the sand, just close enough to the waves that they touched her feet. She threw another stone, this one high up into the air, and it landed in the water with a splash.

"Couldn't you forgive me? No, I suppose not. I suppose she wouldn't." She said, seemingly to herself. She looked around - there was an outline of a village or settlement not far from the beach, seemed like an hour's walk. "Suppose - I might be stuck here. I suppose that might be nice...I suppose I'm doing a lot of supposing. It doesn't sound like a word anymore. I wonder if there's a word for that?"

She went quiet, gazing over the emerald sea, rays of sunlight reflecting off the gentle waves. Was she waiting for the ocean to respond? Or for someone behind her? But nobody responded. The only sounds to be heard were the chirping of alien birds and the crashing of waves. What seemed like hours pass and the sun set over the horizon - darkness crept up on the beach and a cold wind began to blow. The woman finally got to her feet, looked up at the stars, and then from side to side. A smile spread across her face.

"A chance to get away. Maybe...maybe I could do something here. I could help this planet! Planets always need helping. Always..." She looked down for a moment. "What do you think?" She said, before wheeling around and pointing at the girl who'd been standing there for the last minute or so.

The newcomer was taken aback. She looked around sheepishly, wondering if she should leave, now that she's been found out as a nosy parker. She was much shorter, and had a coat on, a beanie hat and thick round glasses, long brown hair and unmatching cargo pants. "I...think you've got some issues." She said.

The woman in the torn sleeved shirt and jeans laughed at that - probably a little too much, she even tossed her head back a bit. When she was done, she sighed. "Weird question. Where am I?"

"You're on, uh...you're on a beach, ma'am." Came the reply from a grinning face.

"Grand! I can see your appeal already. Now where is the beach?"

"A mile outside of Tallathan. How did you get here without knowing where you were? Are you lost?"

"Absolutely lost. Never been here before in my life, that's how I have the best times. I'm the Doctor, by the by, lovely to meet you." Said the Doctor, stuffing her hands in her pockets and tilting her head. "What's your name? If you don't tell me that's fine, I can just call you Beanie."

"Oh you bloomin' well will not! My name's Ivy."

"Ivy. Nice name! Great plant. Now go away."

"...I thought we were getting on well?" Ivy said, taken aback.

"Oh, phenomenally, but I didn't come to this beach to get on well with anyone. I came to feel sorry for myself, and I do my best sorrying by myself."

And with that, the Doctor strode off, tracing the footsteps she'd left in the sand, leaving Ivy to shrug and walk off in the other direction. The Doctor muttered to herself as she walked back to the wooden box her footsteps led away from. For good measure, she tried to open it - locked. She pressed up against it, laying a hand on the side.

"I'm so sorry, old girl. I hope you can forgive me."

And the Doctor turned and walked off again.

* * *

_The next day;_

Commotion. Voices, laughter, roars and claps, glasses clinking and cans cracking open. The smell of salty sweat, booze and body odor. Ivy hated working weekends. Although the planet Univec was an Earth colony, half of the patrons to this bar were alcoholic aliens of all shapes and sizes but somehow most of them only ever wanted beer. 'Can't see the appeal' she thought as she poured yet another beer for a scaley, fish-like creature who's method of asking for a refill was slamming it's damp fist on the table as it shouted at the sports-view. Oh well - you get all sorts in here; not the worst job, at least it pays decently. Mind you, those robed lizard things that show up every fourth mini-cycle...

"Water, please. Mineral. On the rocks. Virgin. Shaken, not stirred."

Ivy recognised that voice. It sounded less depressed than she remembered but it was unmistakably... "It's you!"

The Doctor tilted her head. "It's me? Oh! It's you! Beanie!"

"Do NOT call me that." She said. "The water'll be five credits. You seem a bit happier."

The Doctor rummaged around in her pockets. "Sure I've got 39th century galactic credits somewhere in here...no, that's a yo-yo...no that's the first draft of the declaration of independence...ah, here we go!" She handed over what looked like a tiny stick of chrome gum. Ivy took it and poured the water, handing it to the Doctor.

"What brings you to Tallathan? Or..should I say what brings you to Univec? I don't think you're from anywhere around here." Ivy said, picking up a glass to clean it. She was able to get a much better look at the Doctor, now that she wasn't facing away from her in the dark. What a jawline, she thought.

"Would you believe the missus kicked me out here?"

Ivy stifled a laugh. "She kicked you out to a different planet?"

"Something like that. Locked me out, changed the keyhole and everything. Now I'm stuck here."

The Doctor downed her glass in one and looked around her. Average small town multi species bar, she thought. Average small town, too...this could be a particularly boring vacation. Perhaps there was something more to it...every settlement has at least one horrible conspiracy or impending invasion to sort out. Maybe setting out on one errand would be all that was needed...

She turned back to Ivy. "Any horrible conspiracies or impending invasions going about?"

"You what?"

"You know! Daleks? Sontarens? Voords? Kasaavin? Or..." The Doctor wheeled around again, focusing on a group of robed individuals with scaled snouts poking out from their hoods, sitting on a table at the far end of the bar. "Ivy, do you usually get spooky robed cultists as patrons?"

"First, I have no idea what any of those things are but we don't really get...any trouble, really. Secondly, they come here every fourth m-cycle. Don't even order anything, just sit and whisper to eachother for half an hour and then leave. Wait where are you going?"

The Doctor had taken her bar stool with her, plonked it down on the edge of the table where the robed lizards were sitting, put her arms on the table with a grin and said "Evenin' fellas. Is this where we go for the evil plot meeting? PLEASE tell me this is an evil plot meeting, I am actually _really_ bored."

They all turned to face her. She could make out shades of red and green on their scales, and red beady eyes. Their tongues were forked and slithered out frequently. They had a strange aura about them; the Doctor felt a shiver down her spine and even flinched when they looked at her, but she couldn't explain why. It was like they eminated pure evil. The face of the lizard at the far end of the table erupted into a montrously toothy grin. They all spoke in absolute unision.

"Praise to the Empire of Sin, your foretold arrival has finally come, Doctor."

* * *


End file.
